More

Firefighters Deal With Poisonous Rattlesnakes

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Firefighters battling a brush fire near the Appalachian Trail in western Connecticut have been dealing with another threat this week _ rattlesnakes.

The blaze has burned about 200 acres near Kent since Wednesday, with 17 departments helping to keep it contained.

Kent Volunteer Fire Chief Alan Gawel says the fire disturbed the dens of the Timber rattlers, and well over a dozen snakes have been spotted fleeing the heat, including one that slithered between the legs of a firefighter.

No one has been bitten, but authorities have alerted local hospitals to make sure they have a supply of anti-venom.

Dennis Schain, a spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says once the fire is out, wildlife experts will go in looking to
rescue any injured snakes.